by Paul King

“The mission of the Body Piercing Archive is to select, collect, document, preserve, exhibit, and interpret the personal, social, and material evolving histories of Body Piercing to ensure these artifacts are available to present and successive generations.”

PAUL R. KING—BPA FOUNDER & COMMITTEE CHAIR, APP TREASURER

Let’s start with our founder, Paul King. Paul has been a professional body piercer since 1991 and an enthusiast before that. Paul has a BA in Anthropology from UC Berkeley and has lectured in universities, community groups, and conferences on various aspects of body modification since 1993. In 1999, Paul partnered to create Cold Steel America in San Francisco, CA. He is an active Business Member of the Association of Professional Piercers. In 2005, he successfully completed a three year elected Board position as Treasurer for the APP. In 2007, he received the APP’s President’s Award for contributions to the piercing industry. He has served as a Board-appointed Treasurer and Officer of the APP since 2008. In 2014, with the support of the APP Board, Paul King created the Body Piercing Archive.

BRIAN SKELLIE—BPA COMMITTEE MEMBER, APP MEDICAL LIAISON

Brian founded Piercing Experience in 1992 as a piercer inspired to research and evolve safe body modification and share the results with the community. He is a frequent APP contributor ever since the first Conference, an active Business Member since 1996, an educator who has presented many seminars and workshops at conferences in North and South America and Europe, former Editor of The Point, former chair of the Media Committee, and completed his third term Board Member as President, now serving as Medical Liaison.

BECKY DILL—BPA COMMITTEE MEMBER, INCOMING APP BOARD MEMBER

Becky Dill has been piercing professionally since 2003. She has been a part of the Cold Steel America family since 2009 and the Body Piercing Archive since its inception.

Becky is a Business Member of the Association of Professional Piercers; since becoming a Member she has participated in the APP Mentor Program and led roundtable discussions during the annual Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas. Additionally, she is also a founding member of the Bay Area Piercers Group.

DANNY GREENWOOD—DESIGN GURU, APP ASSOCIATE MEMBER

Danny Greenwood started working counter in 2007, and has been a member of the Cold Steel Piercing family since 2008. Danny is an Associate Member of the Association of Professional Piercers. Danny is the Phantom to our Opera: working behind the scenes on our website and various graphic design needs  (and hiding away from the daylight as much as possible.)

When she isn’t busy handling the ordering and photographing of fancy jewelry for Cold Steel America, you can expect Danny to be watching too much TV with her fat cat and thinking about snacks.

DEVIN RUIZ-ALTAMURA—BPA COMMITTEE MEMBER

Devin began working counter at Cold Steel Piercing in 2014 and is an Associate Member of the Association of Professional Piercers. Devin is the newest addition to the BPA and excited to bring you insights into the inner workings via social media. As  a native San Franciscan, a body piercing enthusiast, and student of the Paul King School of Being a Big ol’ History Nerd, she is honored to be preserving and sharing history that is near and dear to her heart.

When Devin isn’t archiving or obsessing over body jewelry she is probably planting things, reading comics, or telling her dogs how much she loves them. (She is also responsible for the majority of the bios you are currently enjoying originally posted on The Body Piercing Archive Instagram.)

MATTE ERICKSON—BPA COMMITTEE MEMBER, APP BUSINESS MEMBER

Matte began piercing in 1994 in Colorado Springs, Co.and re-located to Fairfield, Ca in 1998 and since then, has become the prevalent piercer in Solano and Napa counties. Since 2002, He has attended the Association of Professional Piercers Conference to continue his education and stay up on the latest advances and techniques.

I am sure there are more for each list, but, I think you get the idea. One of my motto’s is, “just because you can pierce something, doesn’t mean you should”.

Now a committee member for the Body Piercing Archive Committee. History has always been very important to him. He is also a member of the Bay Area and Sacramento piecers groups, The International Suspension Alliance And is also responsible for many of the Photographs The Point uses throughout its publications.

GENE GOWEN—BPA COMMITTEE MEMBER AND FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR

Gene Gowen is owner of and piercer at Cold River Piercing in Albany, NY. He had always wanted to get involved with the APP, but didn’t think he’d be much good at any of the usual ways people volunteer with the organization. Paul started the BPA and needed some help raising funds for the work the archive was doing. So he asked if Gene could be responsible for generating sellable items at Conference, to raise funds for the BPA. Like any other staunch New Englander, Gene has a mother who makes and gives away quilts for everyone’s big life events. So the idea came to him that maybe we could make some quilted projects from old shop shirts, which everyone has in abundance.

That’s really all it came down to. He saw a place where someone needed some help and thought he might be able to be of some use.

OLIVIA THERIAULT—BPA COMMITTEE MEMBER

Olivia began her professional piercing journey in 2012, on the quiet coast of Nova Scotia. She is a permanent fixture at her hometown studio, Skin Decision. When she is home in the woods, you will often find her transcribing audio files for the BPA or outside playing with bugs!

Olivia is a proud Business Member of the Association of Professional Piercers and has attended a variety of seminars, conferences, and retreats to further her understanding of our industry.